Folding jar-rack



H. A. HILDRETH.

FOLDING JAR RACK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY [3. HHB.

1,317,443, PatentedSept. 30, 1919 2 SHEETSSHEET l- I I r14 rm: COLUMBIAPLANOGRAPH c0" WASHINGTON, D. c. 1

H. A. HILDRETH.

FOLDING JAR RACK.

APPLICATION men ram/1a. ma.

1 ,3 1 7, 443'. Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

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ml: cnummm PLANOGRAPH 50., WASHINGTON. m c.

imirED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. HILDRETH, 013 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, T0 CLINTON-WRIGHT WIRE COMPANY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A

CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

' FOLDING JAR-RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent;

I Application filed May 13, 1918. Serial No. 234,237.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. HILDRETH, a citizen of the United'States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and (10mmonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding Jar-Racks, of which the following, together with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a rack for holding jars in theprocess of canning fruit or vegetables, which consists of a single pieceand is capable of being folded so as to lie flat; Jar-racks havehitherto been proposed capable of being folded, but such racks so far aswe are aware are either constructed of two or more pieces, or whenfolded are so bulky as to be objectionable. The rack forming the subjectof my present invention consists of a single piece properly hingedtogether so that it can be folded into a position in which the sides andhandles lie substantially flat with the bottom of the rack, with thehandles included within the area of the folded rack thereby taking upbut little space, and when carried in stock by the dealer, are capableof being folded into a small compass forming substantially fiat packageswhich can be stored upon a shelf one above the other.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a side View of my improved jar-rack, showing jars heldtherein which are represented by dot and dash lines.

Fig. 2 is an end view.

Fig. 3 is a plan view, and

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the folded.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in the differentfigures.

My improved rack comprises a platform or base 1, preferably consistingof a heavy wire rim 2, in the present instance having straight parallelsections 3, 3 and. round ends 4, 4: inclosing an oblong space which isfilled with a Woven wire fabric 5. The woven wire fabric supports thejars 6 when placed in the rack in the position shown, represented by dotand dash lines.

Spaced above the base 1 IS a frame 7 corresponding in outline with thebase 1, and having straight sections 8 and round ends 9 corresponding insize and shape to the ar-rack when base 1 and forming a framework whichis divided by a central longitudinal bar 10 and transverse bars 11, 11into compartments, in the present instance eight in num her, in whichthe jars 6 arerplaced. Hinged to the straight sections of the wires 2,by means of eyes 12, are the upright wires 13 forming sides to the rackwhich are stiffened by the wires 14:. The frame formed by the wire 7 andthe cross wires 10 and 11 is likewise hinged to the upright wires 13 by.eyes 15. The upright wires 13 extend a short distance below the eyes 12and are preferably curved at their lower ends at 16 to form feet, whichrest upon a table or shelf when the apparatus is in use. The upper endsof the upright wires 13 are provided with eyes 17 in which are pivotedthe curved bails 18, capable of swinging toward each other and lyingflat upon the frame formed by the wire 7 and the cross wires 10 and 11.The ends of the base 1 are also provided with legs 19.

In order to simplify the structure and to allow it to be collapsed andto lie flat, I form each of the uprlghts 13 of single short pieces ofwire looped at the ends only, as at 16 and 17. The eyes 12 are rigidlyattached to the uprights and extend inwardly to inclose the peripheralwire 2 of the base section, and similar eyes 17 are rigidly attached tothe uprights 13 and extend inwardly to inclose the peripheral wire ofthe frame 7. The eyes 12 and 15 obviate the necessity of formingadditional loops between the looped ends of the uprights and permit thestructure to lie flat when collapsed. The upright wires 13 upon bothsides of the device are capable of swinging on the straight sections ofthe wires 1 and 2, causing the framework consisting of the wires 7, 10and 11 to fall down and rest upon the base 1, one of the bails 18folding inwardly and resting upon the top of the frame and the otherbail folding inwardly above it, the whole apparatus assuming theposition shown in Fig. 4 and forming a fiat package which can beconveniently inclosed in a paper wrapper or placed in a shallow carton.

In order to place the parts in position to be used, the wires 13 uponeach side of the apparatus are raised in a vertical position, and thebails 18 are turned outwardly to permit the jars to be placed within thecom- Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

and enables the jars thereby to hold the apparatus from collapsing. Thebails 18 may then be utilized to" submerge the rack in a kettle ofboiling water until; theicontents of the jars are suificiently heated.The rack lmay then belifted byithez bails 18- and thehermeticallysealedcovers applied to the jars.

I claim,

1. A folding jar-rack, comprisinga base 1 section of woven wire, anupper' frameworkr havin com artments toireoeive the 'ars a r pair'oruprights on the opposite sldes-of the jar-rack. and spaced;inwardly-from the ends thereof having loops formed intheir ends,-- Iand'eaeh having a pair-of eyes formed independently of the uprights. andrigidly attached: to .i said uprights between their looped ends,- withsaid eyes extending; inwardly and pivotally attached to said basesection and the jar-rack and spaced inwardly from the ends thereof, eachhaving a loop onits lower end to form a foot, and a loop on its upperend toleceive-as,10ml, a pair of eyes rigidly attached to each of saiduprights with said eyes extending inward-1y with the lower 7 most ofsaid eyes 'pivotally connected with said; base section; and with theuppermost t of said eyespivotally jcon'nected; with; said upperframework,and a pair of balls pivotally connected; withthe upper loopedends ofsaid upnigl1ts,- and. each of i said bails adapted: tofoldinwardly. upon'said framework and legs at the ends of thejars-racial Dated thissixthzday of-"May, 1.918. 1 vHENRY AFHILDRETHLVVitnesses V RUFUS-z-B. FOWLER, NELLIE WHALEN.

copies this patent mayibe obtainedifor'fivecents each, byaaddressing theCommi sion rofjl tents;

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